Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi MP Rockson‑Nelson Dafeamekpor criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for an alleged attempt to arrest MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah within court premises. Dafeamekpor tweeted that Article 117 of the 1992 Constitution sets out a specific procedure for serving civil or criminal processes on the Speaker of Parliament, Members of Parliament and the Clerk to Parliament, and that this procedure must be followed when an MP is attending or returning from parliamentary business.
The MP said law‑enforcement agencies must first channel any arrest of a sitting MP through the Speaker of Parliament. He described EOCO’s move to detain Mr Baffour Awuah at the court as unacceptable and urged the agency to respect Parliament’s powers, dignity and institutional standing as a co‑equal arm of government.
Citing Boyefio v NTHC, Dafeamekpor argued that where the law prescribes a specific procedure, that procedure must be obeyed. He warned that procedural improprieties could damage Ghana’s image, especially as Parliament is currently hosting the ECOWAS Parliament in Accra.
He added that if Mr Baffour Awuah is alleged to have committed an offence requiring EOCO’s presence, the law should take its course through the lawful procedure outlined in Article 117.
